Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire didn't waste any time after the regular season when it came to firing former defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter giving him the ax just one day after Tech's win over West Virginia. Now, it appears he's not wasting any more when it comes to finding DeRuyter's replacement.
Tuesday afternoon, it was reported by college football insider Zach Barnett of Football Scoop that Houston defensive coordinator Shiel Wood is the Red Raiders' primary target to fill their empty defensive coordinator job.
Additionally, Chris Level of the Locked On Texas Tech podcast who is also the Texas Tech football radio broadcast sideline reporter also named Wood as Tech's top target Tuesday on an episode of his podcast.
Houston defensive coordinator Shiel Wood is a strong candidate for the same role at Texas Tech, sources tell @FootballScoop.https://t.co/cjCwbiKHmb
— Zach Barnett (@zach_barnett) December 3, 2024
Wood is a 42-year-old who is originally from South Carolina. 2024 was his first season as Houston's defensive coordinator after he followed head coach Willie Fritz to Houston from Tulane where Wood was the defensive coordinator in 2023.
Prior to that, Wood served as the defensive coordinator at Troy (2022), Army (2020-21), and his alma mater Wofford (2017). He also spent time as an assistant coach at Georgia Tech in 2018 where he served as the safeties coach.
Though the Houston Cougars struggled as a team in 2024, it wasn't because of their defense. This season, they ranked 26th nationally in total defense by giving up only 324.8 yards per game.
What's more, Houston was 28th in the country against the pass giving up 188.8 yards per game through the air. Against the run, the Cougars allowed 135.9 yards per game, 45th in the nation. Of course, Texas Tech would have killed to have those types of defensive numbers this season.
Another benefit to the potential hiring of Wood is that it would take the top assistant coach away from a 2025 opponent as the Red Raiders will play at Houston next season. Of course, that's not the main reason McGuire is targeting Wood.
Instead, it is because he is one of the brightest up-and-coming young coaches in the game. He's highly regarded by people in the industry and he would be a great hire for a Texas Tech program desperate to finally fix its long-running defensive woes.